Xmas craft..I know it's early but pleas dont flame me!

[Badvoc]

Hello
I really wanted to make some crafty things last Xmas but what with moving house on 2dec and then falling down the stairs in 5th dec it didn't really work out!! I couldn't walk/drive for a couple of weeks after my accident and lots to do in the house so I just sort of forgot about it.
I have ordered a couple of books in Xmas crafting but am really am really stuck in what I could do...I can bake, sort of knit, sort of sew but have never used a machine...I am thinking of spending some of my birthday money on a very basic sewing machine so I can start.
Any recommendations/tips?
I am a complete novice at quilting etc but would love to learn. I would also like to be able to make simple clothes for myself (skirts etc) as I can never seem to find things I like that aren't £££££££
Are there any books that are easy to read/understand that teach sewing/knitting etc?
Thanks!

I'll answer your question for knitting and other MNers will come along on the sewing and other crafting - so you'll have lots of help!

There are many fantastic books that teach knitting, about a gazillion videos on You Tube and at least one e-book which is about half way between the two - it's an electronic book (a PDF) with videos in it - have a look at KnitFreedom.com. One of the best free resources I know of online is Knitting for Dummies - I also have the print book of this and it really is excellent for getting started.

One of the Christmassy things I am thinking about doing this year is Frankie's Advent Garland - I don't know if you'll be able to see that unless you have a Ravelry account, but if you want to do any amount of knitting you'll want a Ravelry account (it's free). Here's a pic of the garland from Flickr.

Are you wanting to make Christmassy decorations or were you thinking more about presents?

Oh my gosh! That amazing! I would never be able to do anything like that!
I would love to be able to make simple decorations and gifts for people and my own simple clothes...I love the idea of making my 11 month old neice a quilt :)

Is crafting very very £££££?
I have seen a basic sewing machine at ikea for £60.

I would get yourself onto Pinterest for inspiration. You'll waste hours on there!

Not sure what anyone else thinks but i would be suspicious of a cheap sewing machine. You want a decent weight so it could tackle a curtain project (or similar) cos the "saving" on a proper set of curtains would pay for a decent machine anyway. You also want a reasonable number of functions including a backwards stitch. I am pretty sure £60 from ikea is not going to be brilliant and it is a pain when your machine chews up thread or fabric or has dodgy tension. It is just no benefit at all. I reckon reconditioned or second hand is the way to go if you are on a tight budget. Find your local independent sewing/machine centre and chat to them. You might be able to try some out.

I am doing a felt advent calender at the moment (thread running) and that is mostly hand sewing if you are interested. Similar idea to the knitted one but maybe less technical and felt needs no hemming!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/arts_and_crafts/1553243-Felt-Calender-moral-support-thread

I'm currently making the knitted advent calendar tribpot linked to above. It's fab and nowhere near as tricky or time consuming as it looks. You can easily finish some of the "charms" in an evening, although the more detailed ones might take a few evenings. I'm making it as a gift but am sorely tempted to keep it... Would look great along my fireplace!

Oh well done scarlet5tyger! Frankie's patterns are generally very good and not to difficult to follow - I wonder if we should have a knitted calendar moral support thread to go with tricot's one? :)

Badvoc I borrowed my mum's sewing machine a few years go and couldn't do anything back then. She then bought me a Brother x-5 from argos a couple of years ago (I think it was about £70). I've since made Christmas presents galore, a quilt (gotta love my wonky lines though :o), bunting, toys, bags, clothes etc etc
If I had more money, I'd probably upgrade at some point, but it does the job nicely for what I've needed it for (the biggest thing was the patchwork quilt, which was a massive double one and it handled it fine)

I've blogged my way through the majority of things I've made so far here and most with free tutorials (from a non-expert, mind! :)) with step-by-step instructions.

If I can do it, you can do it! :)

Hi Badvoc, i had a job selling sewing machines 10 years ago and the advice i used to give people who were looking to get their first was to get the best basic model they could afford. I think you'd be looking at £120-£230ish in today's money and you can get some good deals. Be wary of buying anything much cheaper. There are some models out there that are 'mini' machines - look cute etc but they will not last and are essentially 'mending' machines. Ok for hems etc but won't be any good for the long haul. Also, some of them have plastic parts inside and you really need something that's robust. I don't know about the ikea model - I haven't had a close look but it does seem very cheap. Also be careful about buying 2nd hand machines as you don't know how much they've been used. We used to service and repair machines and we'd see some where the motor would be totally burnt out. So if you do, make sure it has been fully serviced and comes with a warranty.

Do you have any sewing machine centers near you? a good place to start is to go and get some demos and have a go on some to see what you like the feel of. Also do some research online to see what brands and models get good reviews. its a bit of work but if you're investing in one its worth it as it could last you years and years. My mum has inherited my first machine that she bought for my 16th birthday, it is now over 20 years old and still going strong!

Now for some penny pinching sewing supplies tips: save old clothes and recycle the fabric, jumble sales are really good places to go to do this too, skirts, sheets, curtains etc. Don't forget to also pull off buttons and save zips. Some charity shops have huge stashes of buttons, threads etc. keep an eye out for these. If you have fabric that you don't like or that is spoiled (as long as its clean) still save it as you can use this to test ideas out with. As well as checking out websites and blogs for ideas and sewing techniques, see what books your local library has in the craft section.

That's all i can think of at the mo, good luck and have fun!

Thank you!

Tribpot, excellent idea! Topic started, hope you'll join me!